Ink Blending for Cardmaking: Tips, Techniques, and Tools for Beautiful Results

Hello cardmakers, Lisa Tilson here, and today we’re going to be talking about ink blending. This is such an integral part of cardmaking, as ink blending can be used for many different designs in many ways. You might want to blend inks to create a background for a stamped or die-cut scene. You might want to add ink blending onto a stamped, pressed, or foiled image by using layering stencils. How about creating a beautiful background of colour to sit behind a simple sentiment? Or you may even want to add ink blending onto your white or coloured cardstock die cuts. These are just a few ways of including ink blending when making cards. Some crafters can find ink blending tricky when they first start out, but we hope this post will spark your interest and give you confidence to grab your supplies and start blending. Once you start, you won’t want to stop, and you could easily find yourself adding ink blending to almost every project!

What Supplies Will You Need for Ink Blending?

You don’t need much to blend ink! All you need is some cardstock, ink, and an applicator.

Cardstock

The type of cardstock you use when ink blending can make all the difference to the result. By large, the smoother the cardstock, the better your results will be. If your cardstock is too textured or porous, it can sometimes be harder to achieve a smooth blend as the cardstock tends to absorb the ink more quickly. But cardstocks can vary – try what you have and see how you fare. For example, the Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock is great for ink blending using Distress Inks and Distress Oxides, and it has a textured surface on both sides. Similarly, BetterPress Cardstock has a beautiful, rich, luxurious texture, but inks blend beautifully on that too. Here are a few white cardstocks that are popular with cardmakers when ink blending.

• Hammermill White 100lb Smooth Premium Color Copy.
• Neenah Solar White Classic Crest 80lb or 110lb cardstock.
• Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock (slightly off-white).
• BetterPress Cardstock – as mentioned above, ink blending onto BetterPress Cardstock with BetterPress Inks can achieve beautiful results even though the cardstock is textured. Ranger Distress Inks and Oxide Inks also work well on this cardstock, as do many other brands of dye inks.

You don’t have to confine yourself to ink blending on white cardstock! Although white is popular as your colours will be true, ink blending onto coloured cardstock can give you an entirely different look – give it a try! It can also save you a lot of time as the coloured cardstock plays the role of the lightest shade of ink. The card above begins with a pink cardstock panel, then a range of pink inks are blended from the edges toward the centre to create an ombré effect with the lightest area in the middle. The card on the left features an aqua coloured Distress Ink which has been blended through the centre section of a panel of Neenah Solar White Classic Crest 80lb cardstock. Adding the ink across this section helps to guide the eye straight to the hummingbird and flower. For the card on the right, an aqua BetterPress Ink has been used on a panel of Porcelain BetterPress Cardstock. The blend starts off darker at the top and then fades out as you go down the card.

Inks

So, what are the best inks for ink blending? Different inks will give different results, and there is a huge array of colours and formulations of inks to pick from. What ink you choose to use on your project will depend on what you are comfortable using, what you have in your supplies, and what look you want. In the Layered Stenciling for Cardmakers Blog Post, you learned about the types of inks that work beautifully with layering stencils, and the good news is that those same inks are just as effective for simple ink blending and make them a reliable choice for both techniques. Here is a reminder of some of what was discussed.

Dye Inks

Dye inks are fast-drying and work well for ink blending. The dye ink soaks into the paper, and so the result can often be a little lighter in colour than when you first apply it. Dye inks work well on lighter coloured cardstocks as well as white cardstock. The card above showcases a silhouette flower and sentiment stamped over a small ink‑blended rectangle. The coordinating dye inks form a soft, seamless blend that adds a lovely burst of colour behind the crisp black stamping. This blend was added onto a panel of 80lb Neenah Solar White Classic Crest cardstock. There are many companies that have their own range of dye inks. Some companies have inks produced in colour families, and they have been curated to work together, so this can be helpful if you are starting out and want to know that your colours will blend well together.

BetterPress Inks

These work well when blending onto BetterPress Letterpress Cardstock. The card above uses BetterPress and Hero Arts Core Inks through a set of layering stencils. The design has been created using a panel of Porcelain BetterPress Cardstock. The letterpress texture is fabulous, and the inks have blended perfectly on this textured surface.

Distress Inks

Distress Inks are made by Ranger/Tim Holtz, and they are a water-based, fade-resistant dye ink. They are very popular for ink blending and come in a huge choice of colours. They have a brighter more translucent colour than Distress Oxide Inks. Because they are water-based, they are great for adding splatters to your ink-blended panel. The picture above shows two cards that have both used Distress Inks for their blends.  On the left the blend has been created on a panel of light aqua cardstock, with darker aqua inks fading towards the middle. The card on the right shows how Distress Inks have been used to add extra interest onto coloured cardstock die cuts.

Distress Oxide Inks

These are also made by Ranger/Tim Holtz. They are a water-reactive dye and pigment ink combination, and this hybrid formula can make it easier to achieve soft transitions between colours. Many crafters find these easier to blend than dye inks. They have a more opaque, soft, chalky finish and so aren’t as vibrant as dye inks. The card above shows a purple/aqua blend created using Distress Oxide Inks on Porcelain BetterPress Cardstock. The panel has also been splattered with drops of water for extra interest on this clean and simple card. Where the purple and light aqua have overlapped, you can also see some small tinges of blue. Don’t forget that overlapping the right colours (with any inks) can create additional colours in your blend, saving you time and money.

Pigment Inks

Pigment inks are slower to dry as they sit on top of the paper, and they can work well on both light and dark cardstocks.

Reinkers

Other than your choice of cardstock, one of the most important elements of ink blending is to make sure that your ink pad is juicy. Reink your ink pads regularly for better blending results. If your ink pad is dry, your applicator won’t pick up the ink as easily, and it simply won’t have enough ink on it to create a smooth blend when applying it onto the cardstock. Dry ink pads also mean that you will be spending a lot more time and energy trying to create your panel. This applies to all inks! Purchasing reinkers for your inks can be an investment, but being able to reink your pads often will cause a lot less frustration in the long term.

Ink Blending Tools/Supplies

You don’t need many tools to blend ink.

• Ink blending applicators are essential. You have a choice of ink blending brushes (available in different sizes), pouncers/daubers, brayers and blending foam pads (domed or flat), which are the most common. Most crafters will have a variety of applicators to hand depending on what they are creating. They are all versatile and will work across different inking techniques.

• Worksurface - you can place your cardstock either on a sticky mat or directly onto your work surface when ink blending. A sticky mat keeps your panel firmly in place so that you can blend without it shifting or without putting your fingertips onto it. A non-stick glass or silicone surface, on the other hand, gives your blending brush a smooth glide as you move onto the cardstock. Both options work beautifully - it simply comes down to what feels most comfortable for you.
• Baby wipes or a damp cloth or kitchen towel can be used to clean your work surface during the ink blending process and at the end. If you are changing ink colours during the blending process, cleaning your work surface prevents cross-contamination onto your project.
• Low-tack tape or temporary adhesive can be used to secure your panel onto your work surface if not using a sticky mat.
• Scrap paper/sticky notes - when you are ink blending and holding the panel on your work surface, rest your free hand on a piece of scrap paper or a sticky note. This prevents any oils from your fingertips from transferring onto the cardstock. If you need to touch the inked area, place a piece of paper over it first.

Cleaning Your Brushes

Many crafters do not clean their blending brushes, especially if they are keeping brushes for specific colour families. If you want to clean your brushes, you can wipe off excess ink onto a micro fibre cloth or paper towel. A light wash with water and a mild soap will also clean the brush but note that the brush needs to be completely dry before using again.

Ink Blending Tips & Tricks

Here are some quick-fire, simple tips to help you when blending ink.

1. As with most things, ink blending takes practice. Experiment with the inks and cardstocks you have in your supply. Some will work better for you than others.
2. For the most part, smoother cardstock produces better results. However, there are some textured cardstocks such as BetterPress Letterpress Cardstock and Tim Holtz/Ranger Distress Watercolor Cardstock that work very well for ink blending.
3. Keep your ink pads juicy and reink them regularly. Dry ink pads make for difficult blending!
4. Start ink blending from outside of your panel and bring your ink gradually onto it. The same applies for ink blending onto your die cuts or ink blending through stencils. This really helps to prevent brush marks, which are hard to get rid of. Placing your brush straight down onto the cardstock will often create those brush marks.
5. If you’re blending ink directly onto the centre of a panel, tap off any excess ink onto scrap paper before bringing your brush to the cardstock. Use a light hand and blend in gentle circular motions to build up the colour.
6. For smooth blending, it is better to build up your layers gradually than try and add too much ink at the start. Take your time; if you press too hard or rush, then you will likely end up with an uneven blend.
7. Use brushes or blending tools that are appropriate for the size of area you are working on. If blending a larger area, larger brushes will be your friend, and it will make blending quicker and easier.
8. Ink takes time to dry so your blended area might not look perfect straight away. Let it dry and if you are still not happy, add some more ink.
9. It is helpful to have separate brushes/applicators for different colour families. For example, if you use a brush/applicator that has green ink on it and you then use that same applicator to apply red ink, you will end up with a muddy brown colour.

Simple Ink Blending Using Three Colours Of Ink

This is a short step-by-step photo tutorial showing you a simple blend of three Distress Inks – Salvaged Patina, Squeezed Lemonade and Worn Lipstick. These colours overlap well and create two additional colours on the panel – a green (from overlapping the aqua and yellow) and an orange (from overlapping the yellow and pink). The blend has been created using an A2 (4.25” x 5.5”) panel of Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock (the smoother less textured side).

1. Start off by placing an A2 panel of Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock onto your sticky mat.
2. Using a large blending brush, apply Salvaged Patina Distress Ink to the top of the panel. Start with a light hand and use circular motions to add the ink.

3. Apply a few more layers of Salvaged Patina Distress Ink bringing the blend slowly downwards to approximately a third of the way down the panel. Always start off the panel and gradually move your brush onto it.

4. Next, apply Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink onto the panel. A blending brush that already has yellow ink on it has been used for this application. Cover the middle third of the panel with this colour.

5. Apply some more Squeezed Lemonade ink to darken the blend and make sure you overlap it slightly with the aqua ink above. You can start to see a green colour appear as the two different coloured inks merge.

6. Add Worn Lipstick to the lower third of your panel. Despite the size of the smaller ink pad, a large blending brush is still used to apply the colour. The ink pad was reinked before it was used so it was nice and juicy, which made it easier to pick up ink with a larger brush – even from a small cube.

NOTE: You could have used a smaller blending brush here. That would still work. However, when ink blending a panel of this size it is quicker to use a bigger brush if possible.

7. Again, apply more Worn Lipstick Distress Ink to the panel and make sure to overlap it with the Squeezed Lemonade above. You can start to see an orange colour where the two colours combine.

8. Go back to adding more Salvaged Patina to darken the top of the panel. Overlap with the yellow below.

9. Apply more Squeezed Lemonade and overlap with both the aqua above and pink below.

10. Finish by applying more Worn Lipstick to the bottom of the panel, again making sure to blend over the lower part of the yellow above.

11. Your blended panel is now complete and features five colours created from three inks.

Trying out different ink colours and seeing how they blend is enjoyable, and you’ll find the time disappears quickly when you’re indulging in this wonderful technique. In closing, ink blending is a core technique for cardmakers, and like all good skills, it gets better the more you play. Trust the process, have fun exploring inks, colours and different cardstocks, and keep in mind that Rome wasn’t built in a day. A handful of helpful tips will quickly boost your confidence, and soon you’ll know exactly which tools and colours feel right for you. In the next post, we will be looking at what you can do with your dies beyond basic die cutting, so we hope you will join us for that. In the meantime, grab your inks, cardstock, and brushes and have fun!